The General Education Requirements Review Taskforce is lobbying to reduce the total number of GER courses students take en route to graduation, which would increase major hour requirements and add more interdisciplinary courses to everyone’s schedule.

John Ambrose, an entomology professor and chair of the taskforce, argues that a decrease in GER courses and the addition of interdisciplinary courses will help students experience the “whole” University.

We argue that his logic contradicts itself.

By decreasing GER courses needed for graduation, students will have less opportunities to experience alternative subjects and course material unrelated to their major.

Although the committee wants to add interdisciplinary courses, it is taking away nine hours of humanities courses and seven hours of math and sciences requirements.

If the goal of our University is to produce well-rounded students, this plan is not the best way to go.

For instance, a student who is keener on numbers and majoring in engineering may not get the exposure to writing courses he or she needs for the real world. The same rings true for a CHASS student who needs to develop mathematical skills.

The taskforce also argues that the University requires 10 more GER hours than the state’s average; so therefore, we should be more like our neighbors.

We don’t see any fault in being different than other universities – in reality, it sets our students apart.

Also up on the chopping block are physical education requirements.

The taskforce proposes that students should have the option to have a non-physical health education class, such as alcohol abuse awareness, fulfill one of their two PE requirements.

There is no logic in this proposal other than appeasing the lazy portion of the student population.

In a nation where the media has documented the rise of obesity thoroughly, students should not be given the option to exercise less. Sure, a health education class wouldn’t hurt, but it wouldn’t outweigh the benefits of a class where students have to physically do something.

While the taskforce means well and constantly keeps a watchful eye on our GER, the solution in this case is simple: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.